conv.

All stories
WorldActive · 37h

ECHR hears case of 10 Ukrainian children taken for Russian adoption after Crimea seizure

Ukraine seeks accountability at European court for children forcibly transferred from Crimea institutions in 2014 and placed with Russian families.

newest coverage 13h agosummary written 1d ago6 pieces2 likes & upvotes NewswiresMastodon

What to know

  • Ten Ukrainian children from Crimea orphanages were taken by Russia after the 2014 annexation, given Russian citizenship, and placed for adoption—their whereabouts have been unknown since, despite Ukraine's repeated requests.
  • Ukraine argues the transfers constitute enforced disappearance and identity erasure, with Russia's secrecy rules allowing name and birth-date changes to conceal the children's Ukrainian origins.
  • Russia sent no representative to Tuesday's ECHR hearing and submitted no defense; the court cautioned that Moscow's silence does not guarantee the applicants' victory and evidence must still support their claims.
  • Ukrainian officials say the 10 cases represent a systematic policy; hundreds more children are feared to have been similarly transferred since 2014, and the practice accelerated after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion.

“Behind every case is a child whose fate matters, whose identity must be protected, and whose whereabouts must be known. We must not stop asking questions and demanding answers.”

Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir, Special envoy of Council of Europe Secretary General · Al Jazeera ↗

Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU) Applicant and advocate for missing childrenRussia Respondent stateUkraine Legal guardian and supporting partyThordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir Special envoy of Council of Europe Secretary GeneralDenys Chistikov Top Ukrainian official for occupied Crimea affairs

ECHR hears case of 10 Ukrainian children taken for Russian adoption after Crimea seizure
aljazeera.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in one hour at Sep 22, 12 PM; 6 pieces over 38 hours (3 articles · 3 posts) Sep 22, 12 PM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Newswires 2Sep 22, 1 PM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Mastodon 2Sep 22, 2 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Yesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quiet 1
4 PMyesterday8 AM4 PMnow · 2:55 AM ET
  1. 1

    ECHR hears arguments from Ukraine and human rights advocates; Russia sends no defense

    The European Court of Human Rights heard the case on Tuesday with the UHHRU arguing that Russian authorities unlawfully deprived the children of liberty, imposed citizenship, and erased their Ukrainian identity through adoption. Russia submitted no arguments and sent no representative to the hearing. Presiding judge Lado Chanturia cautioned that Moscow's silence did not guarantee victory and that claims must still be supported by evidence.

    “Had this application not been lodged by UHHRU, the violations of the children's convention rights would never have been raised.”
    — Serghiy Zayets
    1. 2 outlets ECHR hears how 10 children went missing after Russia annexed Crimea

      first by Al Jazeera, 1d ago · also Interfax-Ukraine

      1 more headline
    2. 1 outlet Digital trail of missing Ukrainian children leads to stop at Europe’s human rights court

      first by Courthouse News, 1d ago

    • europesays@pubeurope.com

      https://www. europesays.com/3266641/ ECHR hears how 10 children went missing after Russia annexed Crimea | Russia-Ukraine war News # Europe # News # Russia # RussiaUkraineWar # Ukraine

      europesays@pubeurope.comMastodon1d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. background

    ECHR formally notifies Russia of the case — The court formally notified Russia of the application filed by the UHHRU, beginning Russia's response period.

  3. background

    Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union files case at ECHR for 10 missing children — The UHHRU lodged an application at the European Court of Human Rights seeking accountability for Russia's forced disappearance of 10 Ukrainian children from Crimea and erasure of their Ukrainian identity through imposition of Russian citizenship and adoption.

  4. background

    ICC issues arrest warrant for Putin over unlawful deportation and transfer of children — The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, his children's rights commissioner, finding there were reasonable grounds to believe they bear individual criminal responsibility for 'unlawful deportation and transfer' of children from Russia-occupied areas to Russia.

  5. background

    Moscow launches Train of Hope Crimea adoption program — Russia created a controversial adoption programme that showed 'video profiles' of children on Kremlin-run television networks to facilitate their adoption or transfer to Russian orphanages.

  6. background

    Russia seizes Crimea and takes control of Ukrainian orphanages — Russia annexed Crimea and assumed control of childcare institutions housing Ukrainian children aged 1 to 5 who were orphaned or without parental care. Russian authorities imposed Russian citizenship on the children and listed them for adoption.